New Renault Koleos Review

In April 2016, the second generation Renault Koleos was premiered at the Beijing motor show grabbing the attention of most motoring enthusiasts. Later in the Paris Motor Show, the Renault announced the top of the range Initialed model of the Koleos would be arriving in Europe in spring 2017. Like the Talisman, Megane, and Espace, the Koleos features Renault’s new design approach.

Renault Koleos – Seductive Style

The Koleos has Renault’s reworked lights with a C-shaped LED on either side of the aggressive grille. At the center is the large diamond Renault badge flanked by the daytime running lights. Like most new Renaults, the rear bumper now houses the exhaust pipes giving the Koleos a sporty tailgate.

The Renault has been quite cryptic concerning the engine performance. However, the full range of petrol and diesel engines will be announced later. Considering it shares the same platform as the X-trail, the AWD system of the new model is expected to have two and four-wheel drive modes.

Dimension and Features:

Standing at 185 inches long, 72 inches wide and a 107 inches’ wheelbase makes it larger than the outgoing model. With eleven inches of rear legroom, it is the most spacious crossover SUV for rear passengers. The Koleos has a 213 mm ground clearance that when paired with the AWD version gives it true off-roading capabilities. The 19-inch alloys and flared wheel arches on the initial trim from the Paris Motor Show portrayed an aggressive visage.

It has heated and ventilated leather seats as well as 360 parking sensors. The Bose stereo system uses 13 speakers to produce excellent sound quality. The dashboard of Renault Koleos was finished with soft-touch materials, giving it an upmarket feel. Concierge services are using an embedded SIM card giving quick access to Renault’s customer care agents. The infotainment system sports an 8.7-inch touchscreen with a portrait orientation similar to that in the new Megane.

Renault Koleos – Safety:

Thierry Bollore, the Renault’s CCO, stated that safety was a key consideration in the design of the Koleos. The Initiale trim has also been fitted with a lane-departure warning, a forward-facing camera with automatically dimming headlights, driver fatigue warning, and autonomous emergency braking. The new Renault Koleos also has a self-parking feature that removes the hustle from parallel parking.

The larger families will have to wait longer for a seven-seat version, as the initial model will only be a five-seat car. Thierry Bollore suggested that it would be possible to produce a seven-seat Koleos in the future. However, the five-seat model has a 624-liter boot providing the best practicality in the segment. The capacity increases to 1690-liters when the rear seats are lowered.

The prices of new Renault Koleos have not been specified, but the top of the range model will cost the same as a Nissan X-trail. While the other models will be between the X-trail and the Kadjar. In the compact crossover, SUV market, the Renault Koleos offers an option for those who want the something more stylish than the X-trail but larger than the Kadjar. By spring 2017, the model will be on sale in Europe and the rest of the Koleos range will arrive in summer 2017.